Темное, кривое зеркало. Том 3 : След на песке.

* * *

"Be well, Captain. Extend my good wishes to the Alliance."

Sheridan nodded. "We will. Good luck with the rest of this, G'Kar. If you need us, just call."

"I will."

G'Kar's holographic form disappeared. Corwin shivered.

"I will never ever in a million years get used to that," he said. "Never ever."

Sheridan chuckled. "After all we've seen so far, a mere holographic Narn freaks you out. After Vorlons, Shadows, Drakh…. Minbari!"

"It has been an interesting life, hasn't it?"

"Well, as the curse says, 'May you live in interesting times'."

"Sometimes I'd settle for the boring times for a while."

Sheridan swivelled on his chair. "What's wrong, David?"

"I…. I just hoped I'd get to see Mary while I was here. But she's still on Sanctuary. It's just…. ah, it's nothing."

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Too long."

"Don't worry. You'll see her again."

"I hope so. Well, Captain. You'll at least get to see your true love. To Kazomi Seven."

"Yes," Sheridan said hollowly. At least I'll get to see my true love.

I am lost in darkness for you.

"Yes. To Kazomi Seven."

* * *

Michael Garibaldi was sitting peacefully in the gardens of Babylon 4, looking at the flora around him and wondering idly if there was any pattern there. There probably was, but he couldn't see it. But then, as he would have to admit to himself, he was not really looking very hard.

"Ah…." said a familiar voice. "<Click click> Greetings to you from Zathras, yes. Greetings indeed."

Garibaldi nodded. "Afternoon."

Zathras looked puzzled. "Yes. Yes, is afternoon. Zathras be knowing that already. Zathras can tell time very well, thank you."

"No, it was just a…. oh, never mind. Did you see Captain Sheridan when he was here? I heard he just left."

"Ah no. Zathras has not been having that pleasure."

"Really? I thought you'd met him before?"

"No no no no. <Click click> Zathras has not been meeting Captain Sheridan. Zathras has met Captain Sheridan, yes. Zathras has not, but Zathras has. You see?"

"Yeah…. uh, no…. uh, whatever."

"No, see…. is quite simple. Zathras has not met Captain Sheridan, but Zathras has. Different pronunciation. Zathras. Zathras."

"Ah…. right. Okay. I'll take your word for it. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Zathras just travelling. Just…. enjoying the scenery. Zathras spend a lot of time here after all."

"Oh, you like it here, do you?"

"No. Zathras will spend a lot of time here. Will then. You see?"

"Oh…. forget it."

"So…. why were you being here?"

"Just…. thinking. A lot of things have been…. Everything's changing, and too damn fast if you ask me."

"Ah, change, yes. Change is good. No no…. wait, change is bad. No…. change is…. good and bad…. bad and good. Ah. Zathras have this sorted soon. Zathras…." He suddenly stopped dead in his conversation, and seemed to be listening to something else. The fact that there wasn't anything else to be listening to wasn't deterring him. Finally he spoke up again, with considerable — and surprising — force in his words.

"If Valen can listen to Zathras, you can listen to Zathras!"

"Valen?"

Zathras started, and seemed to realise that he was sitting next to Garibaldi. "Ah, is being nothing," he said, sounding distracted. "No…. no…. is being something. Is definitely being something. Something not good. Must tell G'Kar. Yes yes. <Click click> G'Kar is must being told of this. Was…. pleasure speaking with you, Michael Baldi-Gary."

"Garibaldi!" he corrected, but it hardly mattered. The strange-looking alien was leaving, muttering incomprehensibly to himself.

Garibaldi sighed. Honestly, it seemed as if everything that could happen here, did.

That wasn't a good thing.

* * *

Maybe I am just being paranoid, Catherine was thinking to herself. Maybe I should just have called Security. Maybe this is completely unrelated to G'Kar and…. Maybe….

No matter how many times she told herself that, she wasn't getting any calmer. Her heart was still beating like a snare drum, her head ached and her mouth was dry.

Maybe this is just unwanted paranoia.

Still, she had to admit that her journey to Julie's had been…. uneventful. The transport tubes had all been in operation. No one had stopped or questioned her, not even any of the beggars who usually infested the transport stations. The security guards doing routine and random ID checks had passed her by. Everything was…. normal.

So why hadn't she calmed down yet?

The door to Julie's apartment was just in front her. No one suspicious was hanging around nearby. There was nothing to indicate that this was anything other than an ordinary night.

So why hadn't she calmed down yet?

Breathing in deeply, Catherine rang the chime. She wasn't expecting an immediate reply — it was late, after all, and Julie might well be asleep. She was therefore surprised to hear, within moments, "Who is it?"

"Catherine," she answered. "Look, I know it's late, but I have to come in. This might seem strange, but…."

"No problem." The door opened and Catherine, without really thinking, stepped inside. Julie was standing there, in the centre of the room. She was still fully dressed and obviously hadn't been woken up. The room was quite dark.

Catherine made sure the door had closed behind her, then she staggered in and collapsed into a chair.

"What's wrong?" Julie asked. "Catherine, what…?"

She was crying. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried — possibly even before the fall of Earth. But she was crying now. "I'm…." she began. "I'm in trouble…. so much trouble…. Dan, he's…. he's…."

"What?" Julie's voice was strangely flat — emotionless even — but Catherine didn't notice.

"He's…. dead!"

"Oh, my God. Have you called Security?"